William and Kate Pay "Shattering Visit" to Stutthof & A Rapturous Welcome in Gdansk!
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge began Day Two of the royal tour with a sombre visit to the former Nazi Concentration Camp, Stutthof.
Kate was given lovely flowers.
Stutthof was built in a secluded, wet, and wooded area near the small town of Sztutowo. It was originally created as a prison camp for Poles in September 1939, the first camp to be established by the Nazis beyond Germany�s pre-war borders. It was initially under the control of the local SS and police authorities. It gradually expanded during the course of the Second World War and officially became a concentration camp in January 1942.
More from Holocaust Educational Trust: "The first prisoners of Stutthof were Poles and Jews from the Danzig (now Gdansk) region and until the summer of 1944 most prisoners were Poles, although there were increasingly also inmates from other countries, especially the Soviet Union, Denmark and Norway. It was only in mid-1944 that the camp took on a significant role in the Holocaust: between the summer and autumn of that year, around 50,000 Jews were sent to Stutthof. They came from two main groups: Lithuanian, Latvian and German Jews who were evacuated there from camps in the Baltic States as the Red Army advanced; Jews of various nationalities who were sent there from Auschwitz-Birkenau as slave labourers. The arrival of tens of thousands of Jewish prisoners dramatically increased the population of the camp and dozens of satellite camps around the region."
Although Stutthof was not an extermination camp like Auschwitz-Birkenau or Treblinka (i.e. it was not a place where people were sent to be murdered on arrival), conditions for prisoners were atrocious, and are generally regarded as having been amongst the worst in the Nazi concentration camps, causing the deaths of tens of thousands. The principal causes of death were physical exhaustion as the result of slave labour, disease, malnutrition, exposure to the harsh climate, and abuse from the guards. Jewish prisoners were particularly vulnerable as they were already weakened by years of starvation and abuse in ghettos and other camps prior to their arrival in Stutthof. In 1944, the camp also had a small gas chamber, which was used to murder prisoners who were considered too sick to continue working.
Stutthof was one of the last camps to be liberated by the allies. In May 1945. 110,000 people � men, women and children � from 28 countries were imprisoned in Stutthof, of whom as many as 65,000, including 28,000 Jews, died.
Simon Vigar tweeted this photo with the caption "A place of nightmares".
The Duke and Duchess were shown a series of exhibits that illustrate the conditions in which prisoners had to live at Stutthof.
The Duke and Duchess walked through the site of the camp with the Director of Stutthof Museum, Piotr Tarnowski.
Kate appeared to wipe away a tear during the tour of the camp. Visiting a concentration camp and witnessing the site of brutal atrocities is a very emotional experience. Several Polish readers emailed over the past week or so and almost all of them said they believed the visit to Stutthof was the most important aspect of the itinerary.
William and Kate met a group of five former prisoners of the camp.
Richard Palmer reports:
Two of the Holocaust survivors who met William and Kate spoke to Sky News about the decision to return to Stutthof for the first time since the war ended:
And it looks like a new necklace and matching earrings. The amazing Anna suggests they are Milk Amber - the native gemstone of Poland. She also suggested it's possible they were a gift from the First Lady.
The earrings.
And that brings Day Two of the tour to a close! The visit to Stutthof proved deeply emotive; seeing Zigi and Manfred return to a place of such horror because of the royal visit and hearing their recollections of survival due to the bonds of friendship was deeply, deeply moving. It was a testament to their resilience and courage to see them return there, and I am in awe of their bravery and strength. I have no doubt William and Kate were honoured to meet them. We often talk about defining moments which make a tour 'stand out', and for me the visit to Stutthof is one I'll remember. In many ways, today was the perfect example of the logistical challenges the tight schedules on overseas trips can present. Within a very short space of time, the Cambridges went from a concentration camp to a street party. It must be terribly hard to go from such an upsetting location straight on to an afternoon of fun and vibrant engagements. I know I struggled with the change from Stutthoff to Gdansk and fashion. I imagine it was quite difficult for William and Kate. Speaking of Gdansk, what a fantastic welcoming city. There was enormous thought put into showcasing local craftsmanship and delicacies. The Poles came out in force over the past two days and put on a fantastic programme of events. The royal tour moves to Germany tomorrow, and if it's anything like Poland we can look forward to a great three days!
Tomorrow's Schedule:
We leave you with an update on the shoes worn by Princess Charlotte yesterday. It turns out they belonged to her Uncle Harry in 1986 :)
See you tomorrow!
Kate was given lovely flowers.
Stutthof was built in a secluded, wet, and wooded area near the small town of Sztutowo. It was originally created as a prison camp for Poles in September 1939, the first camp to be established by the Nazis beyond Germany�s pre-war borders. It was initially under the control of the local SS and police authorities. It gradually expanded during the course of the Second World War and officially became a concentration camp in January 1942.
More from Holocaust Educational Trust: "The first prisoners of Stutthof were Poles and Jews from the Danzig (now Gdansk) region and until the summer of 1944 most prisoners were Poles, although there were increasingly also inmates from other countries, especially the Soviet Union, Denmark and Norway. It was only in mid-1944 that the camp took on a significant role in the Holocaust: between the summer and autumn of that year, around 50,000 Jews were sent to Stutthof. They came from two main groups: Lithuanian, Latvian and German Jews who were evacuated there from camps in the Baltic States as the Red Army advanced; Jews of various nationalities who were sent there from Auschwitz-Birkenau as slave labourers. The arrival of tens of thousands of Jewish prisoners dramatically increased the population of the camp and dozens of satellite camps around the region."
Although Stutthof was not an extermination camp like Auschwitz-Birkenau or Treblinka (i.e. it was not a place where people were sent to be murdered on arrival), conditions for prisoners were atrocious, and are generally regarded as having been amongst the worst in the Nazi concentration camps, causing the deaths of tens of thousands. The principal causes of death were physical exhaustion as the result of slave labour, disease, malnutrition, exposure to the harsh climate, and abuse from the guards. Jewish prisoners were particularly vulnerable as they were already weakened by years of starvation and abuse in ghettos and other camps prior to their arrival in Stutthof. In 1944, the camp also had a small gas chamber, which was used to murder prisoners who were considered too sick to continue working.
Stutthof was one of the last camps to be liberated by the allies. In May 1945. 110,000 people � men, women and children � from 28 countries were imprisoned in Stutthof, of whom as many as 65,000, including 28,000 Jews, died.
Simon Vigar tweeted this photo with the caption "A place of nightmares".
The Duke and Duchess were shown a series of exhibits that illustrate the conditions in which prisoners had to live at Stutthof.
The Duke and Duchess walked through the site of the camp with the Director of Stutthof Museum, Piotr Tarnowski.
Kate appeared to wipe away a tear during the tour of the camp. Visiting a concentration camp and witnessing the site of brutal atrocities is a very emotional experience. Several Polish readers emailed over the past week or so and almost all of them said they believed the visit to Stutthof was the most important aspect of the itinerary.
William and Kate met a group of five former prisoners of the camp.
Richard Palmer reports:
William, who was visibly moved and on exiting the crematorium, was overheard apologising to the museum director for asking " so many questions." They then met three Polish survivors Maria Kowalska, 91, Mareka Dunin, 92, and Edward Anderson, 91. After hearing details of their harrowing experiences at the hands of the Nazis, speaking through a translator, William asked: "You must wonder how people could commit such evil against another human?"
Edward said: "After we witnessed these things and lived through them, all we have left as a weapon is the knowledge to warn other people. To stop it happening again." William asked Edward if he thought people had "learnt lessons" from the Holocaust. He answered: "I think we have learnt some lessons but we have not learnt enough."
Two of the Holocaust survivors who met William and Kate spoke to Sky News about the decision to return to Stutthof for the first time since the war ended:
'Zigi Shipper and Manfred Goldberg, 87, were sent to the Stutthof concentration camp near Gdansk in Poland by the Nazis when they were just 14. The two men will share their experiences when the Royals visit Stutthof during the second day of their tour of Poland and Germany.Mr Shipper and Mr Goldberg moved to the UK after World War Two and this will be the first time they have returned to the camp.
Speaking about his decision to go back, Mr Goldberg said: "For me it is quite a seismic event because, since I was permitted to come to England in September 1946, I have not set foot in either Germany or Poland. "I decided that I really had to face the past and hence my consent to come."
Describing the conditions in the camp, Mr Shipper said: "The weather I thought was going to kill me because it was like well below zero and you know we were wearing striped pyjamas because that's what we got in Auschwitz. "I never ever - except in Stutthof - thought that I was going to die. You saw people in front of you dying but I never thought I was going to die except in Stutthof."
Mr. Shipper shared some of his heartbreaking experiences "I said to my friends I can't walk, they said they'll help me, that was him and other people like that. Had it not been for them, I would not have been here today. I wouldn't have survived. They said: 'You know what will happen to you if you don't walk - they will shoot you'. I said: 'But I can't walk', they said: 'We'll help you'." You can watch the video report here.
The Duke and Duchess with Zigi and Manfred today.
It must have been incredibly emotional for them to return to Stutthof. One simply cannot imagine the horrors they endured - it took immense courage to return after all these years to a place which holds horrific memories for them.
Kate and Zigi clearly enjoyed chatting.
More from the Mail Online:
William and Kate joined Zigi and Manfred for a short prayer.
The couple paid their respects at the Star of David in memory of 28,000 Jews who died at Stutthof and the 6 million killed in the Holocaust.
Before leaving, William and Kate wrote in the guest book.
They wrote "We were intensely moved by our visit to Stutthof, which has been the scene of so much terrible pain, suffering and death. This shattering visit has reminded us of the horrendous murder of six million Jews, drawn from across the whole of Europe, who died in the abominable Holocaust. It is, too, a terrible reminder of the cost of war. And the fact that Poland alone lost millions of its people, who were the victims of a most brutal occupation. All of us have an overwhelming responsibility to make sure that we learn the lessons and that the horror of what happened is never forgotten and never repeated."
Kate said: "What you have been through and you still hold in your memories must be extremely difficult to speak about. Thank you very much for meeting us." William and Kate left through what was known as the 'Death Gate'.
You can view a video here.
From there, William and Kate travelled to Gdansk.
To say the couple received a warm welcome would be something of an understatement as thousands of locals lined the streets in the central market square to greet them.
One of the best aspects of a royal tour is seeing the excitement and support from locals in host countries.
How darling is this little girl holding a UK flag?
Welcome William and Kate!
In this video from Hannah Furness you can hear the reaction to their arrival.
Kate meets members of the crowd.
The handsome port city is located on Poland�s northern Baltic coastline. It is awash with colourful buildings, and narrow cobbled streets.
There are numerous shops devoted to amber, the city's most prominent export.
William and Kate joined a vibrant street party.
William and Kate were shown a demonstration of amber processing.
They tried some Polish and Gdansk delicacies - Goldwasser a traditional liqueur with flakes of gold. "It is very good, very sweet", William said "And very strong", Kate added.
And some delicious pierogi.
The Duke and Duchess with the Mayor of Gdansk.
Kate was given a milky Baltic amber and gold necklace, "designed to match HRH�s modern style".
A look at the necklace and the cherry Baltic Amber cufflinks William was given. The necklace was created by S & A Jewellery Design.
Their next stop was the Gdansk Shakespeare theatre, of which The Prince of Wales is Patron.
During the seventeenth century there was a large English-speaking community based in Gdansk, which made the city an important destination for travelling English players. The Shakespeare Theatre opened in 2014, and is home to the city�s annual Shakespeare festival, attended by theatre-lovers from around the world. The Theatre has an adaptable auditorium which allows for three different sized stages, and a retractable roof.
William and Kate met players and crew members.
The royals attended a small reception inside the theatre for Poles from the world of arts, culture and media.
The Duke and Duchess were presented with a special edition of J. Kochanowski�s "The Dismissal of the Greek Envoys". Kochanowski was the greatest Slavic poet up until the 19th c. who wrote in Latin & Polish and had a huge impact on Slavic languages.
Finally, William and Kate visited the European Solidarity Centre, in Gdansk�s shipyards the birth-place of the Solidarity movement in Poland.
The Duke and Duchess toured the museum there, and met with founding members of Solidarity. Below, the royals with Lech Walesa, former President and Solidarity leader.
On departure they walked through the iconic shipyard gates, a key symbol of the protests during the 1980s, before laying flowers at the foot of the Solidarity Monument to Fallen Shipyard Workers, who died during the suppression of a workers' strike in 1970.
The Duchess selected a top and midi skirt in 'Hurst Rose Print' by Erdem today (with thanks to Kate Middleton Style).
It must have been incredibly emotional for them to return to Stutthof. One simply cannot imagine the horrors they endured - it took immense courage to return after all these years to a place which holds horrific memories for them.
Kate and Zigi clearly enjoyed chatting.
More from the Mail Online:
'Mr Shipper said William and Kate were clearly 'very moved' by what they saw, adding: 'You could see their faces. 'They were in pain.' He said he 'most probably' wouldn't have returned to Stutthof if it wasn't for the royal visit but said he realised how 'important' it was to come back now he has returned. He has returned to Auschwitz-Birkenau several times, where he was also held. He said: 'I asked myself many times "why don't I want to go to Stutthof?". I don't know. But when I came I realised how important it was.
He said about the royal visit: 'When a royal goes and it's put on the television or in the paper, people say "why don't we go?". And that's what we want. People should know that it wasn't just Auschwitch-Birkenau, it wasn't just Bergen-Belsen, look at all the other camps.'
William and Kate joined Zigi and Manfred for a short prayer.
The couple paid their respects at the Star of David in memory of 28,000 Jews who died at Stutthof and the 6 million killed in the Holocaust.
The couple pay their respects at the Star of David in memory of 28,000 Jews who died at Stutthof and the 6 million killed in the Holocaust. pic.twitter.com/XtrzulxqTw� Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) July 18, 2017
Before leaving, William and Kate wrote in the guest book.
They wrote "We were intensely moved by our visit to Stutthof, which has been the scene of so much terrible pain, suffering and death. This shattering visit has reminded us of the horrendous murder of six million Jews, drawn from across the whole of Europe, who died in the abominable Holocaust. It is, too, a terrible reminder of the cost of war. And the fact that Poland alone lost millions of its people, who were the victims of a most brutal occupation. All of us have an overwhelming responsibility to make sure that we learn the lessons and that the horror of what happened is never forgotten and never repeated."
Kate said: "What you have been through and you still hold in your memories must be extremely difficult to speak about. Thank you very much for meeting us." William and Kate left through what was known as the 'Death Gate'.
You can view a video here.
From there, William and Kate travelled to Gdansk.
To say the couple received a warm welcome would be something of an understatement as thousands of locals lined the streets in the central market square to greet them.
One of the best aspects of a royal tour is seeing the excitement and support from locals in host countries.
How darling is this little girl holding a UK flag?
Welcome William and Kate!
In this video from Hannah Furness you can hear the reaction to their arrival.
Crowds in Gdansk market (Kate and William in there somewhere) #RoyalVisitPoland pic.twitter.com/687V6hWQlP� Hannah Furness (@Hannah_Furness) July 18, 2017
Kate meets members of the crowd.
The handsome port city is located on Poland�s northern Baltic coastline. It is awash with colourful buildings, and narrow cobbled streets.
There are numerous shops devoted to amber, the city's most prominent export.
William and Kate joined a vibrant street party.
William and Kate were shown a demonstration of amber processing.
They tried some Polish and Gdansk delicacies - Goldwasser a traditional liqueur with flakes of gold. "It is very good, very sweet", William said "And very strong", Kate added.
And some delicious pierogi.
The Duke and Duchess with the Mayor of Gdansk.
Kate was given a milky Baltic amber and gold necklace, "designed to match HRH�s modern style".
A look at the necklace and the cherry Baltic Amber cufflinks William was given. The necklace was created by S & A Jewellery Design.
Their next stop was the Gdansk Shakespeare theatre, of which The Prince of Wales is Patron.
During the seventeenth century there was a large English-speaking community based in Gdansk, which made the city an important destination for travelling English players. The Shakespeare Theatre opened in 2014, and is home to the city�s annual Shakespeare festival, attended by theatre-lovers from around the world. The Theatre has an adaptable auditorium which allows for three different sized stages, and a retractable roof.
William and Kate met players and crew members.
The royals attended a small reception inside the theatre for Poles from the world of arts, culture and media.
The Duke and Duchess were presented with a special edition of J. Kochanowski�s "The Dismissal of the Greek Envoys". Kochanowski was the greatest Slavic poet up until the 19th c. who wrote in Latin & Polish and had a huge impact on Slavic languages.
Finally, William and Kate visited the European Solidarity Centre, in Gdansk�s shipyards the birth-place of the Solidarity movement in Poland.
The Duke and Duchess toured the museum there, and met with founding members of Solidarity. Below, the royals with Lech Walesa, former President and Solidarity leader.
On departure they walked through the iconic shipyard gates, a key symbol of the protests during the 1980s, before laying flowers at the foot of the Solidarity Monument to Fallen Shipyard Workers, who died during the suppression of a workers' strike in 1970.
The Duchess selected a top and midi skirt in 'Hurst Rose Print' by Erdem today (with thanks to Kate Middleton Style).
The Imari Skirt is described as "An indispensible addition to your new season wardrobe, the classic midi length Imari Skirt is reimagined in the romantic Hurst Rose print. Crafted from a cotton faille with a slight sheen, the versatile fabric helps hold the silhouette of the skirt, its feminine volume created by tucked folds. Has a fitted high waist and pockets. Made in Portugal."
The print is from the Spring/Summer 2017 Collection.
Perths Fashion discovered the Erdem Arleen Venice Top which looks very much the same as Kate's in a different print. Kate's top was likely custom made to be worn with the skirt.
Made in Spain, The $398 shoes feature a slim ankle strap, a chunky block heel and a tiny golden buckle. They are available at Net-A-Porter, Nordstrom, Zappos and Stuart Weitzman.
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| Stuart Weitzman |
The sandals are available in a range of colours including 'Red Suede' and 'Silver Metallic'.
 |
| Nordstrom |
Kate's clutch is by Polish brand Etui Bags.
Kate wore her favourite Cartier Ballon Bleu watch.
 |
| Saks Fifth Avenue |
And it looks like a new necklace and matching earrings. The amazing Anna suggests they are Milk Amber - the native gemstone of Poland. She also suggested it's possible they were a gift from the First Lady.
The earrings.
And that brings Day Two of the tour to a close! The visit to Stutthof proved deeply emotive; seeing Zigi and Manfred return to a place of such horror because of the royal visit and hearing their recollections of survival due to the bonds of friendship was deeply, deeply moving. It was a testament to their resilience and courage to see them return there, and I am in awe of their bravery and strength. I have no doubt William and Kate were honoured to meet them. We often talk about defining moments which make a tour 'stand out', and for me the visit to Stutthof is one I'll remember. In many ways, today was the perfect example of the logistical challenges the tight schedules on overseas trips can present. Within a very short space of time, the Cambridges went from a concentration camp to a street party. It must be terribly hard to go from such an upsetting location straight on to an afternoon of fun and vibrant engagements. I know I struggled with the change from Stutthoff to Gdansk and fashion. I imagine it was quite difficult for William and Kate. Speaking of Gdansk, what a fantastic welcoming city. There was enormous thought put into showcasing local craftsmanship and delicacies. The Poles came out in force over the past two days and put on a fantastic programme of events. The royal tour moves to Germany tomorrow, and if it's anything like Poland we can look forward to a great three days!
Tomorrow's Schedule:
- The German leg of the tour begins in Berlin where the Cambridges will arrive at Tegel Airport. Their first port of call is a private meeting with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel.
- Next, they will visit the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin�s most famous landmark and a symbol of German unification.
- The Royal couple will say hello to crowds gathered on Pariser Platz in front of the Gate, before making their way to the Holocaust Memorial. Here they will tour the museum before walking through the Memorial itself.
- The afternoon will see The Duke and Duchess travel to the eastern district of Marzahn. They will visit Strassenkinder, a charity which supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The royal couple meet with President Steinmeier at the Bellevue Palace.
- William and Kate will attend a Queen�s Birthday Party held in the gardens of the British Ambassador�s residence.
- In Germany they will stay at the Ambassadors' residence.
We leave you with an update on the shoes worn by Princess Charlotte yesterday. It turns out they belonged to her Uncle Harry in 1986 :)
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| Roya Nikkhah Twitter Feed |
See you tomorrow!
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